#4 Art Town in America Lives up to its Name

(PRWEB) May 11, 2005

Tears slithered through the landscape of his leathery face, worn from years of quiet coping. Clutching the hand of the one whose letters sustained him on foreign soil, he hoisted their aging frames from low-slung chairs to honor the red, white and blue.

Around the room, the rockets’ red glare of bygone battlefields was more than a distant memory. Flinty faced soldiers everywhere stood tall, camouflaged in civilian garb.

In an instant, music connected their call to courage. Trumpets symbolized their sacrifice. Tympani told their tales. Hearts listened, pounding confirmation, ‘It was worth it. By God, it’s still worth it.’

Last year’s the Hot Springs Music festival’s concert commemorating the 60th anniversary of D-Day was more than a performance. It was a testimony to the power of music to stir the soul, capture the imagination and create a vision of harmony for the world.

Festival directors Richard and Laura Rosenberg are convinced their initial vision 20 years ago is still more than a dream.

“We spent 10 years conceiving our ideas before finally choosing Hot Springs as the ideal incubator for the Festival,” explains Laura. “Out of the 56 communities in 47 states we researched, we felt Hot Springs was the perfect medium-sized host community with the appropriate environment of diversity and accessibility to visitors as well as local audiences.”

According to author John Villani, the Hot Springs Music Festival is an anchor to the city’s Number 4 ranking in his new book, Best Art Towns in America.

“Hot Springs has a strong historic district as well as impressive natural beauty,” Richard adds. “Statistically, environmentally friendly communities who care about historical preservation are also strong supporters of cultural tourism, the country’s fastest growing industry segment. We have built the Festival with a very approachable feel, in part, because of Hot Springs’ ability to host visitors from all socio-economic levels.”

Laura says Hot Springs’ strong history of volunteerism and open-mindedness toward providing in-kind support to new projects is a mixed blessing.

“As Hot Springs continues to attract more diverse, quality-of-life enhancing non-profits, the existing ones like us have to work harder and harder to make our case for survival and growth. Sometimes, the basic premise of the Festival makes it even more difficult.”

The bulk of funds raised for the Festival support the Apprentice Scholarship Fund.

“We don’t have a building to put somebody’s name on in exchange for a large donation,” she qualifies. “Short of putting sponsors’ names on the back of the musician’s shirts, we simply don’t a permanent place for names. Sponsorship and cross promotion opportunities that do exist include presenting rights for the entire seasons or for specific concerts.”

The Festival’s unique community comprises young international performing artists on the threshold of professional careers paired with experienced mentors who rehearse and perform in a casual atmosphere for appreciative audiences from around the world.

“Musicians are sort of like trees,” Laura laughs. “To manage a sustainable forest, Weyerhaeuser has to keep growing new stands of timber. To maintain live music, we have to keep grooming new professional musicians. That’s why we exist here and now.”

Highlights of the 2005 Season will include:

• Opening night concert of all-American programming by the crowd-pleasing Del Sol String Quartet.

• The Festival Symphony Orchestra’s performance of “Montevideo.” Richard Rosenberg has restored Gottschalk’s Symphony No. 2, a whimsical combination of the themes of “Hail, Columbia!”, “Yankee Doodle,” and the Uruguayan national anthem. The Orchestra will also record this and other works by the 19th-century superstar composer for a new Naxos Record compact disc.

• “Cio Cio San,” a fully-staged world premiere of New York City director Martin Platt’s music theater adaptation of “Madame Butterfly.” The original 1898 story of love and betrayal in Japan comes to new life in this spectacular offering, sponsored by the Hot Springs/Hanamaki Sister City Foundation.

• “Moses,” an American premiere of Nicola Scardicchio’s dramatic and melodic cantata, starring Hot Spring’s own Stephen Edds as bass soloist. Richard Rosenberg recently conducted the world premiere in Italy.

• The return of “Papa” Don Vappie, a pillar of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band with his Festival Classical Jazz Jam. Vappie will build the Festival’s first Classical Jazz/Improvisation program this year, thanks to support from the Arkansas Arts Council.

• The Brahms “Double” Concerto, performed by a brilliant new mentor, Canadian violinist Jasper Wood, performing on the priceless “Taft” Stradivarius violin.

• The 2005 Season Finale concert, featuring Gustav Mahler’s majestic and delightful Symphony No. 3. The full Festival Symphony Orchestra will perform with the women of the Festival Chorus and a specially-trained choir of children’s voices.

From May 30 – June 12, Hot Springs’ Historic Downtown District will be filled with music, including 18 different concerts, over 200 open rehearsals, plus seminars, master classes and pre-concert talks. As always, the Festival’s casual atmosphere is created in part by the mentors and apprentice musicians who mingle with audience members to answer questions before and after concerts and rehearsals.

Festival Passes, which offer guaranteed seating at all concerts, and single concert tickets are now available. Complete 2005 season details are posted at http://www.hotmusic.org. Call 501-623-4763 for more information.

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